Merlin and the phoenix
by TimetravellingDragons
Summary: Merlin has been wandering the world since the fall of Camelot, learning all he can about anything he can think of and waiting for Arthur's return. When he hears the rumours about the return of Voldemort to the wizarding world, he takes a job at Hogwarts so he can keep a closer eye on things. Set during the Fifth book (order of the Phoenix). Rated T to be safe. No slash.
1. Prologue

**A/N**

 **Heya,**

 **Just a short note to say that the first chapter is more of a prologue than the proper start of the story. That will begin next chapter.**

 **I don't know if we actually have to do one but I've seen disclaimers on nearly every story I've read so: I don't own any of the characters from Harry Potter or Merlin.**

 **Ok, now thats over with :) on with the story!**

* * *

He had spent such a long time waiting.

But after a while it became apparent that the time of Arthur's return would not be coming anytime soon, so Merlin decided to get around and do something with his life.

He travelled the world, learning as much as he could and watching as magic evolved around him. Wandless magic was dying out, becoming a rarity even amongst the most powerful wizards at the time. He learned languages, healing, various musical instruments (although that endeavour had come to a rather rapid halt after his teacher threw the guitar out the window in despair) and of course he learned as much magic as he could fit into his head, and when there wasn't enough space he started to write it all down. He had a suitcase he had magically extended in which he kept all his original works. He had another for various artefacts and rare books he had come across during his travels and he had kept a few things for sentimental value, such as the sword Excalibur and a small flag with the crest of Camelot emblazoned in red and gold.

Of course, while Merlin travelling around the magical community he no longer used the name Merlin but went by Emrys Gray. Merlin tried to avoid making good friends, keeping on the move and not seeing them after too many years, so that they didn't get suspicious of his eternal youth. Such friends cannot always be avoided, however, and it came to be that Merlin became good friends with a rather persistent young (by Merlin's standards) man by the name of Nicholas Flamel. They met in France when Merlin was visiting the newly built Eiffel tower. Nicholas had caught Merlin's eye as he had the same intangible aura of someone out of their own time that Merlin had had for the first few hundred years after Arthur had died. Merlin had lost this as he grew so used to moving on when everything else came to an end that it no longer affected him so much. But here was a man who was older than he should be and still getting used to this. Even after more than a few hundred years it was a hard thing to become accustomed to. And so Merlin had approached the man and introduced himself, and they became fast friends after that, Merlin popping by every few decades to check up on the Flamels.

It was on one such visit that Merlin first met Albus Dumbledore. They had only brief introductions as they met as Merlin was walking out of the Flamel's door and Dumbledore was poised to knock. Nicholas had introduced them and they exchanged pleasantries, then Merlin went on his way, pondering the boy with the bright blue eyes. He had sensed a great power in him, by these day's standards anyway.

Dumbledore was a young man, barely out of Hogwarts at the time and he asked Nicholas about the man who had been introduced as Emrys Gray. Nicholas had briefly explained that they were old friends and the young Albus had pushed it from his mind, not thinking of the strange young man with the old eyes again. He wasn't concerned with remembering him, not believing they would ever meet again.

* * *

When they did eventually come across one another again Dumbledore had forgotten about the curious stranger he had met a lifetime ago, although something did seem distantly familiar about him, but he brushed the fleeting thought from his mind and smiled at his newest professor of defence against the dark arts.

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys, this is my first try at writing fanfiction so any comments on how I could improve or if I've messed up my grammar or spelling anywhere are greatly appreciated, so long as you're vaguely nice about it.**

 **I'll try and get another chapter done and posted soon but I do have A levels this year so lots of work to do!**

 **Next chapter will hopefully be Merlin starting at Hogwarts. This is set during book five (Order of the Phoenix) so we will meet the Golden trio. Yay!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N**

 **Hello again.**

 **Just a short note to say much thankages to cflat for being my first ever reviewer. :)**

 **This chapter is a bit longer than the last one sooo… enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1:**

Over the years Merlin had kept a distant eye on Dumbledore, along with the rest of the wizarding world. He helped in a quiet way during the first war against Voldemort, preventing as many deaths as he could without drawing undue attention to himself.

He had watched as Dumbledore became headmaster of Hogwarts, and heard of the tragedy that had befallen the Potters and the miracle of Harry's survival. He had his suspicions about Voldemort's disappearance but he had disappeared and the death eaters were being rounded up so there didn't seem to be much to worry about.

Until the events of last year.

The Triwizard tournament had ended in disaster as Harry Potter appeared clutching the body of Cedric Diggory and claiming that Voldemort had returned. The Ministry of Magic had refused to believe that any such thing had happened and promptly turned on Dumbledore and the Potter boy, publishing stories of their many 'lies' and 'attention seeking fabrications'. Merlin believed that Voldemort was back of course. And even if he wasn't completely sure, it was wiser to acknowledge that there might be a threat and be prepared for something that may never come than to be caught off guard by something that could have been prevented easily. The Daily Prophet had been Merlin's way of watching over the wizarding world for a few decades and it had seemed plenty reliable in the past. As he read it now, however, he couldn't help but notice how much its view had changed. Spreading lies about Dumbledore and Harry Potter, refusing to believe Voldemort is back, imposing the new compulsory inspections on Hogwarts to 'ensure the madness of the headmaster is not infecting the young, impressionable minds of today.'

After barely a moment of consideration Merlin responded to the advertisement in the Daily Prophet requesting a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he would be able to ease back into the centre of the mess without raising too much suspicion. He hoped.

* * *

The first of September came quickly, and Merlin packed all his suitcases, making sure nothing of great importance was left behind in his mountainside cabin. He had wards up to protect it from both wizards and muggles but it would be best not to leave these things to chance given that some of the less powerful objects at his disposal held enough power to blow up a small country. He didn't even want to consider what might happen should someone get hold of one of the more powerful things in his possession.

He gathered up his things and apparated as close to the Hogwarts grounds as was possible for any normal wizard. He could, should he wish to, apparate to and from anywhere in the castle grounds since he himself had set up the wards all those years ago, but he felt that during a time like this it would just cause unnecessary fuss and worry. He didn't want people feeling insecure when Voldemort was on the prowl. Merlin then began the rather long walk up to the castle. He was in good shape, having spent a good amount of his life walking around the world, and so he found the trek quite enjoyable, but despite his best efforts Merlin was still thin and gangly, with no obvious muscle to speak of.

As he approached the castle doors he frowned slightly, the wards around the castle didn't feel very secure. He supposed that having updated them last a few hundred years ago was a tad remiss of him, but he was a busy man and it hadn't been a pressing issue. He made a silent note to himself to strengthen the wards at the first chance he had. He knocked on the ornate doors and a tall woman appeared.

"Mr Gray, I presume."

Merlin nodded by way of a reply and let himself be ushered inside.

Merlin thought she looked rather like a grandmother, severe and strict but only to make sure you didn't die before she did. She introduced herself as professor McGonagall and led him through the castle to his new room.

McGonagall left him outside his room with instructions on how to set a new password and to come down to the great hall once he had unpacked and freshened up a little. With a pointed look at his rather messy black hair and rumpled shirt she turned and stalked down to corridor, leaving him alone with only the sounds of her fast fading footsteps for company. The door was hidden behind a tapestry of a rather large dragon. Not as impressive as Kilgharrah had been, but imposing none the less. He set the password (Albion) and entered his room.

The first room was set up like an office, shelves on the walls and a large oak desk in the middle with a simple chair behind it. The stone walls were bare for the moment and there was a fireplace in one wall. The next room along was the bedroom; it was much the same as the first room in appearance but the desk was replaced by a large queen size bed and a small oak table by the side of it. There was a window looking out to the grounds and he could see the forbidden forest in the distance, the occasional thestral appearing above the mist before swooping back down gracefully. Behind the bedroom was a bathroom, large with black and white tiles on the walls and floor, a large bath in one corner.

Merlin set about unpacking in the office room first. He put his favourite books on the shelves, filling them quickly and stacking them on the floor when he ran out of space, leaving the room looking more like a library than an office. He set out a few of his favourite smaller artefacts on the desk and summoned a few extra tables to hold other items. He hung his Camelot flag on what little space was left of the wall along with a few of his favourite paintings, all landscapes but for one picture he had painted himself. This painting was his favourite, it showed him with Arthur, Gwen, Gwaine, Gaius, Lancelot, Percival, Leon and Elyan, all smiling in front of the magnificent castle of Camelot.

He finished setting out his belongings, transfigured the chair behind the desk into something more comfortable, and summoned a few extra armchairs and a beanbag to have in the room.

Once he was finished he moved on to the bedroom, deciding to do this room with magic. He did enjoy the physical labour from time to time, but he needed to get ready for the start of term feast. He left his bedroom to sort itself out and quickly showered and got changed into some long, black robes. He started towards the exit before deciding that the plain black of the robes was a little boring and so added some subtle decorations. He magically embroidered some flying dragons and various herbs onto the robes in a shiny black thread, making the pictures almost invisible until you looked in the right light. He added a few discreet dashes of silver and green around the edges as a tribute to Slytherin, the house he had been placed in by the sorting hat all those years ago. This made him slightly happier and he made his way down to the great hall, eager to meet his new colleagues.

* * *

Harry had not had a very good summer.

The Dursleys had been as bad as ever, then there had been that weird Dementor attack and the revelation that Dumbledore had seen fit to basically stalk him all summer, not allowing his friends to tell him anything at all. It was infuriating.

Granted it had perked up towards the end when he was staying in Grimmauld place with Ron, Hermione, Sirius and the rest of the Weasleys and the Order, but even then, it had been pretty rubbish. He had to clean the place out with everyone, then there was his hearing and his scar kept on bugging him, sending shooting pain through his head at random intervals.

All in all, he was glad to be going back to Hogwarts, even if he would have to deal with half the school thinking he was a raving lunatic. The train ride back hadn't been too bad, discounting the incident with the weird plant thing Neville had brought in. He, Ron and Hermione had talked about the new Ministry enforced inspections that were taking place and wondered if Dumbledore had been able to find a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, or if Snape would finally get his dream job.

They arrived at the Hogwarts train station and made their way towards the carriages. Harry was looking around for Ron and Hermione, having separated earlier so they could do their prefect duties, and glanced toward the coaches. He did a double take as the normally horse-less coaches were no longer being pulled by nothing. Harry didn't know what the creatures were but he supposed that if he had to describe them he would say they were great, black, skeletal winged horses. There was something reptilian about them, a slightly dragon-like head.

As Harry was staring at the new addition to the transportation, Ron and Hermione came up behind him.

"C'mon, mate. Let's get going, I'm starving" Ron made his way to the nearest coach and went to get in, before realising that Harry wasn't following him, but seemingly staring into empty space.

"What are the horse things?" Harry asked no one in particular, hoping that somebody might know.

"What horse things?"

"Those ones, the ones pulling the carriages."

Ron looked towards the carriages, then slowly turned back to Harry shaking his head and looking slightly concerned.

"There's nothing there, mate. C'mon, let's go."

After failing to persuade Ron that anything was there, Luna came up to Harry and tried to reassure him. Tried being the active word here as she floated off towards the coaches with the not so comforting words of "Don't worry. You're just as sane as I am."

Harry wasn't happy with this at all but decided that his questions could wait, Ron's stomach could not. So he jumped into the carriage after Luna and it pulled away towards the castle.

* * *

As they walked into the great hall Harry looked up towards the staff table and saw two unfamiliar faces, not counting the Grubbly-Plank woman who had been at the station. Sitting on Dumbledore's left side was a rather ugly woman dressed all in pink, who was looking around at the students with a simpering smile plastered on her face. Harry recognised her from his hearing and said as much to Ron and Hermione as they took their seats at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione frowned "I wonder what she's doing here."

"Maybe she's here for those inspection things that the ministry is doing."

"You know, I think you're right Ron." Hermione looked at him, surprised at this rare moment of insight.

"Never mind that, who's the guy next to Snape? He looks like he's barely out of school himself."

"He must be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. I hope he's good." Hermione looked slightly doubtful that the young man with scruffy black hair and a wide smile would be able to teach them well enough to pass their OWLs.

"Seems pretty chummy with Snape though. Do you think they'll gang up on you Harry? Form a sort of Hate Harry Potter club."

Hermione glanced at him, disapprovingly, and tried to comfort Harry that he wouldn't have another teacher that hated him, "Don't worry Harry, I'm sure he's just trying to get along with everyone. Look, Snape actually looks pretty uncomfortable."

All three of them turned towards the staff table and Ron snorted in amusement at the sight at an overly enthusiastic Merlin gesticulation wildly and almost whacking Umbridge in the face. Professor Snape sat as still as possible, trying his best to ignore the bundle of energy that he had the misfortune to be seated next to. He looked towards the Gryffindor table and caught the golden trio watching the proceedings, trying to hold back the laughter and, in Ron's case, failing miserably. Snape glared at them, though the effect was somewhat diminished by Merlin waving a hand in front of his face to make sure he was still paying attention to his explanation of mobile phones. Dumbledore was regarding the scene out of the corner of his eye, interested to see how Severus would react to the enthusiastic Professor Gray. He barely managed to hold back his smile, but the amused twinkle in his eyes gave him away and Snape glowered at him, unimpressed at the headmaster's amusement.

As the last of the students trickled into the hall and sat at their house tables, McGonagall strode up to the front of the hall, hat and stool in hand, with a crowd of nervous looking first years trailing behind her. She placed the hat on the stool in front of the staff table on the raised dais and it opened the slit in its fabric and began to sing.

It sang of the founding of Hogwarts, the friendships between the houses and how they slowly fell apart, but then proceeded to warn of impending doom and how the houses need to stay together or they would all be in even greater danger.

After the sorting of the first years, the feast began. Merlin tucked in, enjoying the good food and resolving to go to the kitchens later to thank the house elves. The ghosts then made their appearance, swooping low over the tables to put on a show for the new first years. Luckily they weren't paying attention to the teachers table, or some of the older ones may hay recognised Merlin for who he really was.

When the feast was over Dumbledore rose to his feet and the Great Hall fell silent. He made his usual start of term announcements, reminding everyone that the Forbidden Forest was named so for a reason, and it was against school rules to go in there unaccompanied by a teacher. He then introduced Professor Grubbly-Plank, who would be taking over Hagrid's duties as teacher of Care of Magical Creatures. This gave rise to a slightly more enthusiastic round of applause than Harry and Ron would have liked, they both glared at Hermione, who didn't look nearly worried enough about Hagrid. Dumbledore then turned to introduce Professor Emrys Gray, who would be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Merlin beamed and waved at the students who all applauded warmly.

"And finally, it is my great pleasure to introduce Miss Delores Umbridge, who will be carrying out inspections on behalf of the ministry as a measure to ensure you all achieve the best you are capable of."

At this, Umbridge simpered and the students started to clap in a rather half-hearted manner, looking around at each other dubiously.

Dumbledore went on to continue his speech but was interrupted by an extremely fake cough. He turned to find Umbridge on her feet and politely waited for her to continue, even as the other members of staff glared at her as inconspicuously as possible. The students didn't bother to hide their distaste as Umbridge began her own little speech in a high, rather annoying voice.

Merlin tuned out when he discovered that he would hate the woman too much if he actually paid attention to her speech and amused himself by magically embroidering a small slogan on the bottom hem of Professor Snape's robes in bright thread that flashed red and gold. It read 'Gryffindor for the win!' and he added a tiny lion on either side of the text. He made it small enough not to be too noticeable, but large enough that it could be read by a student who was standing relatively close to the man.

Merlin couldn't help but catch bits and pieces of Umbridge's speech and deduced that it was as he had suspected; the Ministry was interfering at Hogwarts and would most likely try to take over imminently.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Ok folks, that's it for now. I wasn't sure on how to do Harry, Ron and Hermione so I hope I'll do them OK. I was also a bit iffy on the ending of it but decided to just get it out and start on the next chapter asap :)**


	3. First Lessons

**A/N**

 **I know, I know. I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever. Christmas was busy and I've got mocks this week so I didn't have as much time as I thought I would. Anyway, here it is - the next chapter :)**

The next morning Harry and Ron met Hermione in the common room and went down to breakfast together. Harry wasn't in a great mood as Seamus and Harry had had a yelling match about the truth of Voldemort's return and if Dumbledore was mental or not. On the way to the Great Hall, they talked about their new timetables and Ron bemoaned the fact that they had double potions with the Slytherins first thing on a Monday morning.

"I just hope this Professor Gray guy is all right. With our history of defence teachers, it's a bit of a lottery. I mean, Quirrel had You-Know-Who sticking out the back of his head, Lockhart was a bloody moron who had no clue what he was doing, Lupin was the best teacher we ever had but he had to leave 'cause he's a werewolf, and Moody wasn't Moody but a raving lunatic of a death eater who tried to get Harry killed!"

Hermione looked a bit put out at the blatant disrespect of the teacher's authority but didn't say anything about it, grudgingly agreeing with some of his points.

"He did look a bit young to be teaching us; I wonder how old he really is." Hermione looked thoughtful before her expression morphed to one of slight disgust when they reached the Gryffindor table and Ron started stuffing as much food as he could into his mouth.

Harry turned his gaze to the teachers table and couldn't help but feel that it looked empty without the great bulk of Hagrid sitting there. A flash of worry crossed his mind as he wondered again where the half-giant was. He then saw Professor Gray sitting at the staff table and chatting enthusiastically to Professor Dumbledore, who had a slightly bemused twinkle in his eye, as if this new teacher wasn't quite what he had expected.

After breakfast, Harry and Ron went up to the Divination tower to sit through Trelawney predicting a new horrible death for Harry, then they spent an hour dozing while Professor Binns droned on about some war or other, (they would look at Hermione's notes later).

The Gryffindors then made their way to the dungeons for potions. They had just sat down at their desks when Snape swept in to the classroom, scowling at the Gryffindors, and started writing up instructions on the blackboard for a potion. When his back was turned, Ron caught a glimpse of red and gold on Snape's robe and leaned forward slightly to see what it was (along with others who had also seen something) to see what it was. When he made out the words 'Gryffindor for the win!' he snorted loudly and tried to turn it into a cough. Snape whirled around and glared at his students. Those who had caught sight of his unwitting support of the rival house were trying desperately to stifle the giggles that bubbled up.

Overall, it wasn't a bad potions lesson as they go. Anyone who had shown signs of mirth had points deducted but Snape hadn't been able to work out what it was that was so funny and so Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to Defence Against the Dark Arts in much higher spirits than they usually would after double potions.

As they walked into the classroom they looked around to see how it was decorated. It was different each year because the teachers all had such different styles. The room was decorated with ancient looking artefacts from all around the world, there were five banners around the room, one for each house and one that they couldn't identify, but it was red and gold with an old looking crest of a dragon on it. The rest of the walls resembled a small library, with a large collection of books, some were incredibly time-worn while others were in pristine condition.

Professor Gray was sitting on his rather cluttered desk with his bare feet dangling, a wide smile on his face. Malfoy looked at him with distain and the students took their seats, waiting for the lesson to start.

"Hello everybody, I understand that your teaching has been somewhat fragmented and I want to make sure that we have time to cover everything you'll need for your exams. I contacted Professor Lupin and he gave me a summary of what you covered in your third year. Sadly, your other teachers were unavailable or otherwise unable to give me the information on what you had studied, Professor Lupin was kind enough to provide me with a list of what he thought you went through in your first and second years and Dumbledore gave me an outline of what you covered last year. Now the Ministry has decided that we ought to focus on the theory of Defence rather than the practice of actual spells."

Hermione raised her hand and Ron rolled his eyes at Harry, who smiled and looked over, wondering if Hermione was going to ask about the theory based course.

"Yes, miss…?"

"Hermione Granger, Sir. Does that mean that we won't be doing any spells in the lessons?"

Professor Gray chuckled lightly. "That is what the Ministry has instructed me to do."

There was a small outcry and Dean Thomas shouted "But what if we're attacked or something, we'll be completely clueless!"

Professor Gray merely raised both hands and waited for silence.

"If I may be allowed to continue?" He looked at the students questioningly, and they all looked a tad sheepish. "As I was saying, The Ministry has declared it to be so, however that will do you no good when you leave the protection of the school walls. Your attacker is hardly likely to stop and wait while you rack your brains for the theory on a spell you learned in class but have no experience in using. If you haven't practiced the spells, then there's almost no point knowing them because you won't be confident in using them. That being said, when Miss Umbridge is sitting in on the lessons, I will be teaching pure, Ministry approved, theory."

The class looked appeased and Harry was rather happy that this new teacher seemed sane enough to realise that there were threats outside the school.

"Any more questions?"

Dean raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr…?"

"Dean Thomas, sir. I was just wondering, well, if you believe that You-Know-Who is really back?"

Silence reigned over the classroom as the students waited with baited breath to hear the answer, many of the leaning forward slightly at their desks.

"Ah, I was wondering when this would come up. I don't think it really matter if he's back or not. There are other dark wizards and creature out there that you need to be able to defend yourself against, Voldemort or no."

There was a shocked gasp at the word Voldemort and Lavender Brown whispered fearfully, "you said his name!"

Professor Gray looked slightly confused for a little while but then understanding dawned on his sharp feature.

"Aah, yes, sorry about that. I haven't been around wizards for a while so I forgot how touchy they were about names."

"But sir, aren't you scared of it too?"

"No. Not at all. Names do indeed hold some power, but Voldemort is not even his real name, so there is no current danger in saying it aloud."

"What do you mean 'no _current_ danger'?" Harry asked.

"Well, as I said, some names hold a small amount of power, mostly in the knowledge of the name itself, and some creatures can be controlled when their true name is invoked. When I say no current danger, I mean that it is possible to put spells of names, so that something happens to or around the person who speaks it."

The lesson continued in this fashion, with Professor Gray telling them of the different curses that can be put on names and answering questions.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the lesson in high spirits. Professor Gray had been interesting and involved, not afraid to tell the students his opinions but reminding them to collect as many of the facts as possible before forming one of their own. Harry was pleased that Professor Gray was open about his disagreement with the new Ministry policies and Hermione was happy that they would have a decent teacher for their OWL year. Overall, they decided Professor Gray was all right.


	4. In Trouble?

**A/N**

 **Hello all**

 **Thank you to all my reviewers. There seems to be something of a theme of people asking me not to abandon this story. I assure you that I will endeavour to update as regularly as I can and if I should ever feel the need to abandon this (which I have no intention of doing btw) I would give due notice. If I don't update for too long without notice then just message me telling me to get my arse in gear, 'cause I'm probably just being lazy…**

 **And on that cheerful note, on with the story! :)**

At the end of his first day of teaching Merlin felt pretty good about himself. He hadn't revealed anything that might give away his true identity and nearly all of his student were receptive to his lessons. He had a few students who couldn't get over the perceived lack of an age gap, but he reminded them that Dumbledore had seen fit to hire him so that should be enough for them.

Merlin had particularly enjoyed a seventh-year class which had two red haired boys (obviously twins) who he could tell were trouble makers. They had put him through his paces, firing questions at him like lightning and switching seats when he turned to the blackboard. He managed to keep up with their questions though, and caught them out on their seat switching (he had always been good at telling twin apart) so they settled down a little after that. Only a little mind you, Merlin could tell that he would have a lot more to put up with throughout the year.

That evening as he didn't have any homework to mark yet, Merlin decided to go and explore the grounds a little to see what had changed since he was last at Hogwarts. He put on a cloak and left his room, making his way through the stone corridors to the entrance hall. From there he left the castle and walked through the grounds, past the lake where the giant squid was making ripples on the surface of the frigid water, and down to the Forbidden Forest.

The forest was just as he remembered, the tall, dark trees casting thick shadows on the ground, the rustle of creatures through leaves and the silence that fell as you went deeper and deeper into the forest, where only the quietest or most dangerous beings lived.

Merlin only went a short way into the forest, not wanting to find trouble on his first day there. He soon came across a clearing where skeletal black horses were grazing quietly. Some of the thestrals raised their heads and looked curiously at the intruder. Deciding he was no threat they let him be, and some of the more curious approached him. He stoked their necks absently, feeling a certain kinship with the animals. He had been surprised when he first met some thestrals years ago; he had known thestrals were related to dragons but he thought it was so distant that he wouldn't have been able to feel the connection. The link to his past soothed him, and brought a smile to his face as he remembered the adventures he had had with the knights, Arthur, Gwen, Gaius and Kilgharrah.

Enough time had passed that he could look back on those memories without the debilitating grief that had come the first few decades after they had all died. Kilgharrah lived much longer than the others, but had been distant as always, only coming to say goodbye when he was dying, and to give Merlin his last piece of obscure advice.

"Many years have passed since the fall of Camelot, and though the world may not have need of you yet, young warlock, they surely will in the future. And even if it takes thousands of years, know that Arthur will one day return. However, be aware the world may have need of your power before that day comes; do not cut yourself off. The dragons are not what they once were. They are slowly losing the ability of speech in your tongue, remember what I have taught you so that you might continue to guide them, and they will continue to listen. Good luck, young Warlock, and have faith in the future, for although there is darkness, there is also great light."

Merlin had been almost two hundred years old at this point and resented being called 'young warlock' but the dragon had stubbornly refused to call him anything else, reminding Merlin that he was far older, and so had the right to call Merlin whatever the hell he wanted to.

After a while, Merlin realized it was getting quite dark and so decided to head back up to castle, deciding to himself that he would come and visit the thestrals more often.

* * *

By the next morning, rumours had spread like wildfire about the inscription on Snape's robes. He was absolutely livid and swore to put whoever was responsible in detention for at least a week. Suspicion naturally fell on the Weasley twins, who were usually the root of any mischief or mayhem that occurred in the castle, but Professor Snape had nothing to tie them to the crime and so they didn't receive any detentions.

The twins themselves were stumped. They knew that they hadn't done it, so that meant somebody else had, and anybody daring enough to go after Snape was worthy of their respect. They vowed to find out who had pulled this masterful prank and praise them endlessly for it.

Harry had written to Sirius about it, thinking that his godfather would find the situation highly amusing, and told him to tell Lupin too. Harry could practically hear his godfather's barking laughter as he sent the letter off with Hedwig, his snowy owl.

* * *

Merlin, for his part, was feeling slightly guilty for all the blame automatically falling on Fred and George, so the first chance he got that week, he asked them to stay behind after one of his lessons with the seventh year Gryffindors. They looked a little wary, and were shooting each other looks in a silent conversation, each asking what they might have done to get in trouble this time.

The corners of Merlin's mouth twitched upwards "Don't worry, boys. You're not in trouble. Quite the opposite in fact. And I must beg your forgiveness."

The twins glanced at each other, confused, before looking up at their professor questioningly. "What do you mean sir?"

"Well, you remember that incident with Professor Snape and his robe?"

The twins nodded, disbelieving comprehension dawning slowly on their faces.

"Umm, you see, I was a little bored during Ms Umbridge's speech at the welcome feast, which I'm sure was most illuminating, and so…" He trailed off at the end of his sentence, waving his hands in a 'you know what happened next' kind of way.

The twins were gobsmacked. They were lost for words, which didn't happen often, and they just stared with dumbstruck looks on their faces, eyebrows raised, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, at their Professor.

"I just thought I owed you an apology and an explanation as you seem to be the ones that everyone is blaming. As I knew it wasn't you, I just thought you ought to know."

They sat there for a second in silence. Fred and George then slowly turned to face each other and nodded grimly. Merlin waited for their reaction nervously.

"Wow."

"Amazing."

"Don't know why we've never thought of it!"

"We should have done that years ago!"

"Got any other ideas?"

"Plans?"

"Evil schemes that you need help pulling off?"

"Not that one as great as yourself would ever need help of course."

"But the offer still stands."

Merlin held up his hand, "Woah, boys, slow down! I must say you're taking this remarkably well. And I would appreciate it if this stayed between us, I don't want to be on Professor Snape's bad side from the first week. Also, if you boys ever need help, with anything at all, don't hesitate to come to me."

Fred and George nodded, looks of awe on their faces.

"All right then, off you pop."

"Thanks sir!" They said together.

The twins got up to leave, bowing extravagantly on their way from the classroom and shouting proclamations of Professor Gray's greatness, and deciding that he was their new favourite teacher. Although thinking about it, they didn't know who their favourite teacher had been before.

They resolved to not play too many pranks on him in any case, and certainly none that would disrupt his lessons in too grievous a manner, and returned to the Gryffindor common room in high spirits

 **A/N**

 **That's it for now folks. Let me know if you enjoyed this, and if you have any ideas you really want to see then let me know and I'll see if I can work them into the story somehow.**

 **Until next time :)**


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